Mongolia: People in Need launches groundbreaking report assessing the impact of dzud on herder livelihoods
Ulaanbaatar – On Monday, July 2, International NGO People in Need (PIN) launched the Household Economy Assessment (HEA): a groundbreaking report assessing herder livelihoods in two livelihood zones—Arkhangai High Mountain and Sukhbaatar Steppe.
The HEA, which was unveiled at the Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR), is the result of a baseline survey conducted in fall 2017 and an outcome analysis exer-cise conducted in January 2018. The data it provides on seasonal household spending and coping mechanisms will help emergency personnel, development organizations and the humanitarian community at large identify the wants and needs of different populations, and stage more targeted interventions designed to meet those needs.
“The HEA is contributing towards the advancement of knowledge of seasonal cycles and how shocks and stressors affect herders in Mongolia. Ultimately, the information will be used to design appropriate food security and livelihoods interventions including early action before an emergency situation to improve the conditions of poorer families and their communities” said Marc Tasse, Country Director of PIN Mongolia.
The HEA also provides recommendations towards improving herder’s resilience to natural disasters such as dzud and the sustainable management of pasturelands and possible pre-emergency interventions that would protect the herders. The research advances People in Need and Mercy Corps’s continuous work to advance understanding of vulnerability amongst herding households and the pastoralist household economy in Mongolia.
The report was funded by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) under the “Leveraging Technology and Tradition for Resilience in Rural Mongolia” (LTT4R) project implemented by the PIN in partnership with the INGO Mercy Corps and prepared by the Food Economy Group (FEG).
People in Need (PIN), an INGO based in the Czech Republic, launched programming in Mongolia in 2009 when it provided emergency assistance to herders affected by severe winter (dzud). With the goals to save lives and protect dignity, empower people and support sustainable living, PIN established its permanent presence in Mongolia in 2011. Today, apart from providing emergency relief, PIN’s programs in Mongolia focus on urban sustainable development, supporting rural livelihoods through building the capacity of cooperatives and providing Disaster Risk Reduction and resilience programs for herders, building the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) and local authorities, strengthening higher education, promoting environmental protection and raising awareness on air pollution.
Since 2009 PIN has implemented more than 12 projects in 18 provinces with a total budget of 4,135,272 EUR.
The European Union with its Member States is a leading global donor of humanitarian aid. Through the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), the EU helps over 120 million victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, ECHO provides assistance to the most vulnerable people solely on the basis of humanitarian needs, without discrimination of race, ethnic group, religion, gender, age, nationality or political affiliation.